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A century and a half ago the American Civil War began with the bombing of Fort Sumter. Amid all of the attention lavished upon the domestic legacies and consequences of this crucial conflict, the international dimensions of the American Civil War are often ignored. Yet, as the authors in our roundtable point out, there is a rich and vibrant scholarship on this subject. As the world pauses this month to reflect on the nature, course, and meaning of the Civil War, SHAFR.org hopes to encourage a broader appreciation of this conflict by asking a group of international specialists to situate the conflict within a much larger context. In the following essays, Jay Sexton, Duncan Campbell, Phillip Myers, and Donald Rakestraw challenge us to think about how a renewed understanding of the American Civil War can affect the ways that we conceive of the war and its place in both American and international history.
Brian Etheridge
Brian Etheridge serves as webmaster and editor for shafr.org. He is also associate professor of history and director of the Helen P. Denit Honors Program at the University of Baltimore.